A childhood favorite sandwich meets the finger-licking appetizer for the ultimate Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese you won’t be able to resist. A little heat balanced by ooey gooey Borden's Grilled Cheese Melts makes for a the most delectable comfort sandwich.
This post is sponsored by Borden® Cheese. The opinions and text are all mine.
Table of Contents
About this Grilled Cheese
It’s hard not to love grilled cheese. I mean the savory goodness of melted cheese between two slices of fresh bread, toasted to perfection. My mouth is watering. There’s no reason to dismiss the simple sandwich; however, I often find myself asking “How do I spice up a grilled cheese?”
And from that question, I present to you the cheesy Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich. That’s right, a childhood favorite meets the finger-licking appetizer for the ultimate sandwich you won’t be able to resist. And thanks to Borden’s Grilled Cheese Melts, this sandwich gets the most ultimate cheese pull imaginable.
A quick note about Borden’s Cheese: it’s made with real milk with no added hormones and an excellent source of calcium. Brought to you by a farmer owned cooperative! Be sure to check out your local Publix to pick up your Borden’s Cheese. You'll try it once and never make a grilled cheese again with out it.
But if spice isn't your thing, try this Three-Cheese Grilled Cheese. Or maybe it is and you can try these Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers or this Baked Cheddar Jalapeño Dip, which I'm sure you'll love, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Bread: Using fresh bread is a real game changer here. I used white bakery bread made fresh from the bakery at Publix.
- Borden’s Cheese, Grilled Cheese Melts: This cheese gives the ULTIMATE cheese pull. I purchased mine at my local Publix. Use this link for a Borden's Cheese store locator.
- Jalapeño Cream Cheese & Jalapeños: Brings the kick to this sandwich.
- Shredded Chicken: For extra protein and to make it more of a meal. You can shred chicken breasts, buy pre-shredded, or use rotisserie chicken.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Love bacon? Add a couple of cooked bacon strips to your grilled cheese instead of just into the popper mixture for some extra savory goodness.
Don’t like spice? Try using chive and onion cream cheese in the popper mixture instead and replace the jalapeño slices with sliced onion! Or you could use regular cream cheese and finely dice some bell pepper to add in to keep on the pepper theme.
Want to switch up the cheese? There are multiple types of the Borden Cheese Melts. I used the "Grilled Cheese" version which is American cheese, but they also have pepper jack, extra sharp cheddar, and swiss. Experiment with your favorite flavor! These Cheese Melt slices are perfect for this sandwich and give the ultimate cheese pull. I highly recommend trying them!
How to Make This Recipe
- Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Then, generously spray the pan with cooking spray.
- Butter on side of each slice of your bread on the side that will be face down on the frying pan.
- Spread the jalapeño cream cheese on the other side of each slice of bread and add the shredded chicken on one side only.
- Add the bacon bits on top of the chicken and spread your avocado slices and jalapeño slices on the other piece of bread.
- Take 3 Slices of Borden’s Grilled Cheese Melts and fold them in half. Layer the cheese melts on top of the jalapeño.
- Put the slices of bread together. Put the sandwich on the skillet and let sizzle. Allow 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. The Borden’s Grilled Cheese Melts will get nice and ooey gooey!
- Flip once or twice so both sides of the bread are a beautiful golden brown. If you need to turn down the heat to a medium-low so the bread doesn’t burn, please do.
- Pair with your favorite soup, and enjoy!
Alternative Cooking Methods
Stove top in a skillet isn't the only you can you cook your grilled cheese. If you want to try cooking your grilled cheese another way, here are some of my tips.
How to make grilled cheese in the oven: Assemble the sandwich as the recipe calls for, and bake on a cookie sheet for ~10 minutes, flipping halfway at 450 degrees. Baking time may vary depending upon the type of bread you choose.
How to make grilled cheese in the toaster oven: Similar to the oven method above, set your toaster oven to ‘bake’ at 450 degrees. Put your empty baking tray in the toaster oven while it preheats to get the pan hot. Then bake your grilled cheese for ~5 minutes on each side.
How to make grilled cheese in the air fryer: This’ll require the same sandwich assembly and about 3-4 minutes on each side at 375 degrees.
How to make grilled cheese on the grill: Using the grill will bring an amazing smokiness to your sandwich. Warm your grill to medium and grill your prepared sandwich for about 5 minutes per side. Check your sandwiches often to ensure the bread isn’t burning if your grill has particularly hotter spots.
How to make grilled cheese in a panini press: A grilled cheese in Italy is actually called a panini. If you’re using this method, after your panini press preheats, it’ll only need 5-7 minutes of cook time. Don’t press down too hard or else all of your delicious fillings will ooze out.
Recipe FAQs
Get GOOD bread. It doesn’t have to be wildly expensive. Homemade or fresh bread made right in the grocery store or your local bakery is best. If it's still slightly warm and has crusty edges, it will make this sandwich EXTRA delicious.
Control the heat source! Keeping the stove at a steady medium heat will allow the cheese to melt without burning the bread. Not all stoves function the exact same way, so feel free to lower the heat if necessary.
I wouldn't recommend it. It would get soggy. You want to enjoy it fresh because it's crunchy and crispy! However, if you have leftovers, I suggest greasing a skillet and grilling it for just a few minutes over low heat to get it warm again. I also love to use this method for reheating pizza!
There’s plenty of sides that go great with grilled cheese. A few options I love include soup (have you tried my Dairy Free Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes), salad, coleslaw, fruit salad, potato chips or pickles.
More Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- Serrated knife
- butter knife
- Cutting Board
- skillet
- spatula
- skillet
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 slices fresh bakery bread
- 3 slices Borden Cheese Melts, can be purchased at Publix
- ½ avocado
- 2 tbsp jalapeño cream cheese
- 5-6 slices fresh jalapeño
- 1 tbsp mayo
- ½ cup shredded chicken
- 2 tbsp freshly cooked bacon bits
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Then, generously spray the pan with cooking spray.
- Butter on side of each slice of your bread on the side that will be face down on the frying pan.
- Spread the jalapeño cream cheese on the other side of each slice of bread and add the shredded chicken on one side only.
- Add the bacon bits on top of the chicken and spread your avocado slices and jalapeño slices on the other piece of bread.
- Take 3 Slices of Borden’s Grilled Cheese Melts and fold them in half. Layer the cheese melts on top of the jalapeño and then add the mayo on top of the cheese.
- Put the slices of bread together. Put the sandwich on the skillet and let sizzle. Allow 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. The Borden’s Grilled Cheese Melts will get nice and ooey gooey!
- Flip once or twice so both sides of the bread are a beautiful golden brown. If you need to turn down the heat to a medium-low so the bread doesn’t burn, please do.
- Pair with your favorite soup, salad, or slaw and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Sydney Van Acker says
WOAH so much flavor in this one. I left off the chicken and bacon and it was still amazing
Courtney Paige says
This is the epitome of comfort food meets food truck vibes. Lil spicy, very cheesy, SO GOOD!